layering/combinations

[LedByMyNose]

Does anyone have any specific-to-them magical layering formulas? Any that would seem weird or outlandish to those who hadn't tried it yet? A gourmand with a marine? I'll go first, although I'm not sure this is a very crazy combination simply because the 2 frags suit each other so damn well: Monyette Paris and Lea St Barth - they are *heaven* when layered (the Monyette oil underneath and be generous with the Lea because it can get overwhelmed otherwise).

How about a frag with a specific lotion or shampoo? Anything, I want to hear!

[Morgaine]

I've only tried with very straight-forward, simple scents so far. Haven't really kept track of the successful "recipes", TBH, I generally just try something when the mood strikes, inspired by the moment. A combination I like but that has varying success depending on the frags is incense + almond/vanilla. Incense I get from either Bois d'Encens, Encens Flamboyant or Ouarzazate (first two work best) - almond/vanilla from KM Loukhoum, Jour de Fête, Confetto or PotL.
I layered Fig&Vetiver with Philosykos, but that's not dramatic enough for me. Still figgy, after all.
I must have tried more, but no clue what they were.

[Mimi Gardenia]

Probably not very original but I have layered Prada Infusion D'Iris with L'Heure Bleue EDP .
Also L'Heure Bleue EDP with Ava Luxe Midnight Violet. The first combination is heavenly to me.

[kewart]

My favourite combination at the moment (and I think I posted a topic on this recently) is
The Body Shop's Satsuma Body Lotion layered with Nirmala (Molinard.)
Actually that lotion layers well with Cinnabar and Cabochard as well.
I also like to wear Miel de Bois with Cristobal (double helping of honey anyone?)

[Divatologist]

I love layering different scents and lotions!!! I keep saying I'm gonna my make my blog about "Divatologist's Infamous Concoctions". Some of my favs.....

Aimez Moi by Caron & BBW's Coco Cabana lotion
Alien by Thierry Mugler & Aveda Patchouli Oil & Baby Magic Baby Soft Scent Lotion
Belle En Rykiel by Sonia Rykiel & Aveda Patchouli Oil & Baby Magic Baby Soft Scent Lotion
Lolita Lempicka & Victoria's Secret's Love Spell Body Spray/Lotion


What I love about layering is how I make a scent my own. I love being an individual and standing out in the crowd.

[lushsoup]

Our lovely Divatologist can never be confused with a shrinking violet! Alien (jasmine) and patchouli...very interesting! This is when I really do wish we had Smell-O-Vision.

Speaking of violets...

Violetta di Parma + Jolie Madame

It is the only combination of scents I've tried so far and it was utterly beautiful. Other than that, I tend to shy away from fragrance combining. Some annoyingly persnickety part of me feels like it's an insult to the "artist-nose." I really ought to get over that myth and experiment a little more. Now when I did do my combining, it was more of a comfort thing, so maybe combining has to do with mood a little. I just have so many scents that I end up wanting to fully appreciate their progressions on their own since I don't repeat wearing them often, so I guess I don't feel like I "ought" to combine. It's an interesting subject. Do we combine as ways of being artistic, or to comfort ourselves?

[ineespenes]

I really wanted to love Samsara,since itr sounded so good.In real life it simply doesn't suit me at all.Layered with Tam Dao it's lovely,though.I got rid of the cloying part and made it more woody and drier.

[Renngrrl]

Czech & Speake #88 with Tam Dao - together they are seduction in a casual sniff.

[Asha]

Diva (or anybody else who wants to chime in), when you layer fragrances, do you spray them over the same spot? Or do you put them on different parts of your body?

[Olfacta]

I don't really like a dominant rose scent,so have been experimenting with layering Rosine samples with some of my ambers -- interesting -- and plan to try it with classic chypres,too.

[ubuandibeme]

Interesting that Divatologist has a layering thing with Aveda's Patchouli...I'm developing my own layering fetish with Mecheri's Patchoulisime! I've sort of been adding a spritz or two to my SOTD, and I'm loving it! The other day, I wore some COCO and added some Patchoulissime for fun - and it was fantastic! Now I'll have to give that Baby Magic lotion a try!

[lizzie_j]

I love to layer Serge Lutens Louve and Un Bois Vanille.
I guess many of the Serges go together very well and are meant to be layered?!

I've layered Bois de Paradis with Indult's Tihota and got a muskier version of Un Bois Vanille! I loved it.

Still playing with the layering of lotions with fragrance, but I've used Pilar and Lucy's The Exact Friction of Stars body lotion with many of my vanilla based scents (in particular, Montale Vanille Absolu and Body Shop Vanilla perfume oil), and it seems to work.

Great thread...lots of interesting ideas!

[Therese]

Aimez Moi by Caron & BBW's Coco Cabana lotion
Alien by Thierry Mugler & Aveda Patchouli Oil & Baby Magic Baby Soft Scent Lotion
Belle En Rykiel by Sonia Rykiel & Aveda Patchouli Oil & Baby Magic Baby Soft Scent Lotion
Lolita Lempicka & Victoria's Secret's Love Spell Body Spray/Lotion
.

Thanks, Diva. This will be the first day that I will leave Basenotes, with a desire, not to try a fragrance per se, but to run out and buy Baby Magic Soft Scent Lotion!

[beachroses]

Diva (or anybody else who wants to chime in), when you layer fragrances, do you spray them over the same spot? Or do you put them on different parts of your body?

There is no set rule, I always layer scented bath and body products with fragrances. Sometimes I layer fragrances on top of each other and sometimes I wear one in the morning and another harmonious one in the evening, iow, two that would smell good layered together but are applied at different times. I've never tried spraying different perfumes on different parts of my body, but I guess the same effect might be achieved with a scented body cream and a different fragrance misted around my hair and shoulders.

[Divatologist]

Diva (or anybody else who wants to chime in), when you layer fragrances, do you spray them over the same spot? Or do you put them on different parts of your body?

Asha I generally apply my perfume all over my upper body. So, you can say that I do apply them in the same spot. I always put my oils on first and spread them all over my upper body and then I'll spray on my frag and do the same. You can check out my blog. I give full details on how I apply my perfumes.

[Divatologist]

Interesting that Divatologist has a layering thing with Aveda's Patchouli...I'm developing my own layering fetish with Mecheri's Patchoulisime! I've sort of been adding a spritz or two to my SOTD, and I'm loving it! The other day, I wore some COCO and added some Patchoulissime for fun - and it was fantastic! Now I'll have to give that Baby Magic lotion a try!

Ubu I loooooove patchouli and it blends so well with most of the frags that I have. It's funny because I didn't mix any patchouli with my Alien today. it still smells good, but it's just not the same. The patchouli just mingles with it so good. I usually wear a litte patchouli with Coco Mademoiselle and it smells sooooo good.

Now, you'll find that the Baby Magic mixes very well with most of your spicy/woods/oriental type frags. I just love the way it smells. I've often wore it alone and it lasts pretty well. I bet you that lotion would smell wonderful with the Patchoulissime.

[Divatologist]

Thanks, Diva. This will be the first day that I will leave Basenotes, with a desire, not to try a fragrance per se, but to run out and buy Baby Magic Soft Scent Lotion!

Therese I've worn this lotion forever. I love the way it smells. I can't even remember how I discovered the blending of the lotion and the frag, but I'm glad I did. Please try them with some of your favorite spicy/woods/orientals and let us know how it turned out.

[Divatologist]

Our lovely Divatologist can never be confused with a shrinking violet! Alien (jasmine) and patchouli...very interesting! This is when I really do wish we had Smell-O-Vision.

Speaking of violets...

Violetta di Parma + Jolie Madame

It is the only combination of scents I've tried so far and it was utterly beautiful. Other than that, I tend to shy away from fragrance combining. Some annoyingly persnickety part of me feels like it's an insult to the "artist-nose." I really ought to get over that myth and experiment a little more. Now when I did do my combining, it was more of a comfort thing, so maybe combining has to do with mood a little. I just have so many scents that I end up wanting to fully appreciate their progressions on their own since I don't repeat wearing them often, so I guess I don't feel like I "ought" to combine. It's an interesting subject. Do we combine as ways of being artistic, or to comfort ourselves?

Lushsoup could you imagine Smell-O-Vision!! You would be able to spot a BNer anywhere by their pushed up noses LOL!!!

[iez]

I've layered CdG Jaisalmer with Coco to great effect, that's the only really successful layering I remember at the moment.

In the past I have also tweaked some scents to make them either more "me", like blending Chanel No5 with Ceylon cinnamon, or to make them the slightest bit interesting or wearable, like Armani Gio plus huge amounts of coffee or Dali PF with a strong note of sweet basil.

[Asha]

I had an accidental layering a while back...I am sure it happens to all of us. Here is what I wrote in April of this year:

Unexpectedly, I had a fragrance layering combo I did not count on--Estee Lauder's classic Azuree and Serge Lutens Bois et Fruits. It was skanky, sexy, and deep! Leather and boozy wood, mmm!

Side note...this was not one spray on top of the other, but rather sprays or dabs near each other on my skin. Maybe I'll try this tomorrow

[ChantillyLace]

I really like and have got random compliments on Santana for Women (smells like Miami Glow), and Island Gardenia.

[Mimi Gardenia]

Our lovely Divatologist can never be confused with a shrinking violet! Alien (jasmine) and patchouli...very interesting! This is when I really do wish we had Smell-O-Vision.

Speaking of violets...

Violetta di Parma + Jolie Madame

It is the only combination of scents I've tried so far and it was utterly beautiful. Other than that, I tend to shy away from fragrance combining. Some annoyingly persnickety part of me feels like it's an insult to the "artist-nose." I really ought to get over that myth and experiment a little more. Now when I did do my combining, it was more of a comfort thing, so maybe combining has to do with mood a little. I just have so many scents that I end up wanting to fully appreciate their progressions on their own since I don't repeat wearing them often, so I guess I don't feel like I "ought" to combine. It's an interesting subject. Do we combine as ways of being artistic, or to comfort ourselves?

OoooooooooH ! lushsoup - I must try that !

[socalwoman]

CdG Avignon and Anayake Miyako
POTL cream and CdG Ouarzazate
Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum and KM Gourmandises
Serge Lutens Encens et Lavande with Dream Essence Creamy Pumpkin Oil
The Donna Karan Essences (Wenge, Labdanum, Jasmine and Lavender) are good together in any combination
Perlier Dark Chocolate body cream and iPdF Spezie
Santa Maria Novella Rose Talc and Miller et Bertaux Bois de Gaiac et Poire
Lush Silky Underwear Talc and Guerlain Vetiver pour Elle
Iris Pallida and SMN Iris talc

[beachroses]

Parfums de Nicolai - Vie de Chateau and Petit Ange
Creed - Bois de Cedrat and Fleurissimo

[pomander]

Does anyone have a suggestion for something to layer with L'Artisan's Amber Extreme? Something to make it a bit rounder?

[socalwoman]

Does anyone have a suggestion for something to layer with L'Artisan's Amber Extreme? Something to make it a bit rounder?

I'm not sure if this will make it rounder but I've used Susanne Lang Black Orchid (it's been renamed to Midnight Orchid) dry oil under it to good effect. Probably any vanilla would do. Yves Rocher makes a fragrance called Vanille Bourbon http://www.ciao.fr/Yves_Rocher_Eau_d...ourbon__616410 that is inexpensive, very good, and works well as a layering base.

[Morgaine]

Pomander: how about the limited ed body butter from TBS? They have a holiday edition that's amber something something. Those body butters tend to be very heavily scented. Haven't tried it though! No clue if it would do anything for your L'artisan.

[pomander]

Thank you both socalwoman and veuve amiot! When I wrote my post yesterday, I had just tried amber Extreme for the first time, after a long day of Christmas shopping. I think my nose must have been as tired as my feet, because the scent smelled flat and dull to me, and as if it only contained amber

What a difference a day can make though! I tried it again just now, and it smells richly spicy, slightly sweet (first ginger, and now mocha), and full of depth. I was so surprised that I looked up the notes, and found it contains luscious cardamom, nutmeg and vanilla, as well as patchouli, and of course amber. Hmmm, maybe the mocha smell I'm getting is the mixture of vanilla and nutmeg.
So thank you both for your kind suggestions... I think I'll experience it as is for now.

[nattygold]

CdG Avignon / Montale Black Aoud - hypnotic
Dior Homme / Bulgari Black - amped up leather
SergeLutens Chergui / Muscs Koublai Khan - sexy as hell

[mikeperez23]

CdG Avignon / Montale Black Aoud - hypnotic

Totally agree - wonderful combo!

[Minou2]

Does anyone have a suggestion for something to layer with L'Artisan's Amber Extreme? Something to make it a bit rounder?

Another one that works with this is L'Artisan Vanilia.

[Domingo]

I accidentally layered Rive Gauche pour Homme with Acqua di Parma, much to my surprise they went very well together after 15 minutes or so.

[pomander]

Another one that works with this is L'Artisan Vanilia.

Good suggestion. Merci minou !!

[Katrinket]

CB I hate perfume Tea/Rose with CDG Kyoto=Rose+Cedar+incense, love it.
The rose feminizes the Kyoto, but effect is still cool and airy. I also have a little sample of Stella (rose-scented, of course) which is nice to add to lots of things.

I had actually wondered the same thing, Asha, about HOW exactly people do their layering. I've been applying next to each other, say on my wrist and arm. Seems like if they are one on top of the other, some ingredients "eat" others.